


Hey You (I've Been Looking at You)

by changgus



Category: Produce 101 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Crushes, M/M, Mild Language, Not Beta Read, boys being gay, i make pairings by pulling names out of a magician hat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-05 02:50:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11004429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/changgus/pseuds/changgus
Summary: There’s no denying at this point that Jihoon has full fledged feelings for Jinyoung, and he thinks it’s safe to assume that the other isn’t straight.





	Hey You (I've Been Looking at You)

**Author's Note:**

> hey this is age appropriate don't report me and don't sexualize my boys

******PART A**

“Lmao Jihoon you’re such _weakshit_ .” Samuel laughs, Hyeongseop scowls at the language but ultimately agrees. Daehwi yawns. Haknyeon’s probably trailed off to follow a butterfly. With this set of friends, Jihoon feels like he’s on babysitting duty (the kids he’s babysat, _ironically_ , were more manageable).

 

“Hey punk watch your language, I’m older.” Jihoon threatens. Hyeongseop adds, “Also do you need to say lmao in a sentence, like the actual acronym. It’s not even a word.” Samuel laughs and dabs. Not all millennials are like this.

 

“Let’s talk about something else. Daehwi, ya, how are you?” Jihoon being a concerned friend directs his attention towards Daehwi in hopes of shutting Samuel up.

 

All Daehwi has the energy to do is shrug, “I’m sleepy.”

 

“Why are you sleepy?”

 

“Because I didn’t sleep.” _what a surprise._ Jihoon figures he should end the conversation.

 

The four of them- Jihoon, Samuel (who was mentioned only for formality), Hyeongseop, Haknyeon, and Daehwi, were on the way to the mart, as they visited everyday. It’s not because they liked going to the mart or because they needed their daily fix of sodium and sugar but because a very good looking cashier worked at the mart, and Jihoon was, as Samuel’s said, _weakshit_. The only reason the three little mushrooms trailing behind Jihoon went along with him was because he payed for everything they bought.

 

“A ha! The store! Jihoon how thick is your wallet today? I need to plan my menu.” Samuel laughs. Jihoon thinks he should’ve befriended a different foreign student, like that Taiwanese boy. From what he knows, the kid only talks shit, but respectfully.

 

The store was small but ultimately clean, but in a sketchy part of town, and with the green, orange, and red scheme going on, it looked a lot like a knockoff 7/11. But it was a lot better than other convenience stores (say, the 6 other stores they passed by on the way), because behind the counter taking the 5 to 7 pm shift, was Jinyoung.

 

This has been Jihoon’s schedule for the past month, school dismissal at 4:00. He fixes his bag and picks his friends up from their classrooms and they leave together at 4:30. They play around for a solid hour while Jihoon contemplates his hopeless homosexuality and make it to the mart at 5:40 where Jihoon gets his own five minutes of looking at Jinyoung while everyone else raids the store. They never stay long enough for him to talk to Jinyoung though, because Daehwi is a cute baby with a curfew and needs to make it home in time for dinner.

 

Jihoon, weirdly, has never made plans to visit in his own time, because then he really would be forced to talk to Jinyoung, and he personally isn’t sure he can be interesting enough to keep a conversation without saying something regrettable.

 

His friends enter and leave the store like a tornado, quickly (and efficiently?) raiding the shelves, forcing Daehwi to hold everything in his hands to wake him up. He follows slowly behind them, laughing at the way his friends pick items off the shelves. Their actions are careless, and Jihoon can’t not see them unintentionally shift the items on the shelves.

 

The best and worst part of any mart visit is check out. Best because he gets to see Jinyoung up close and listen to the way he says _paper or plastic_ , and _that will be_ _$_ _5_ , and _here is your change_. On the other hand, it’s the worst because he’s legitimately forking out that much cash because of his squad of gluttons and Jinyoung isn’t an old lady he can wink at for discounts and gifts. So he hands over his banknotes, takes the bag (paper because it’s better for the environment), and allows himself to be pulled out of the store at a velocity similar to that of falling through air.

 

He stays behind for a bit, sees Jinyoung through the window. His actions are gentle, rearranging the packs on the shelves, putting everything in its place. Jihoon is sorry that his friends are more on the extra side, and that Jinyoung has to spend the next 10 minutes of his shift cleaning up their mess. He’s tempted to walk back. Walk through the door of the mart one more time. Maybe it’ll be like the movies and their hands will touch as they reach for the bag of chips. But his friends pull him back into the real world. It’s time for him to go.

“Jihoon, everyone left. You were zoning out.”

_He needs better friends, not gold diggers._

Before Jihoon has time to answer, Daehwi’s tightening the laces of his sneakers and is getting ready to ditch him as well, “I better get going now. 10 minutes isn’t a lot of time to run home.”

 

Jihoon laughs at the little Daehwi, gripping the straps of his knapsack earnestly. He’s always in a rush at these hours. Jihoon wishes he had the same excitement to go home everyday.

 

“Yeah, I think I’m gonna head home early also.”

 

In the end, Jihoon spent the next hour circling every road going to his house twice before getting home. He decided that he needed the extra alone time to think for a little bit. Maybe he should get a job, Jinyoung’s friend at the counter left, he’s been handling shifts alone for a while. Maybe he can take that guy’s place. It’s a thought that lives for a total of three seconds until he rules it out, like every other Jinyoung related plan he’s ever made. He didn’t know that irrationality came with being gay.

 

-

 

You only experience the negative effects of sleeping late when you wake up. So Jihoon wakes up feeling like his brain weighs the same as concrete, and he reasons removing it from his head would make him feel much better. But realistically, the only thing that could make him feel better is good sleep. And the one thing keeping him from a good night’s rest is Jinyoung.

 

 _Jinyoung’s fault._ Jihoon’s found it very easy blaming Jinyoung for his problems, as he’s done it many times in the past.

 

  * __Fucking Jinyoung my wallet is empty I need to stop going to the mart.__



 

  * __Thanks to Jinyoung I get 3 hours less sleep than usual.__



 

  * __It’s Jinyoung’s fault for making it hard for me to focus in class.__



 

  * __Maybe if a Mr. Jinyoung stopped looking so handsome I would have no problems in the world.__  



 

Jihoon isn’t safe from his own homosexuality, he gets ready for school with Jinyoung on his mind. He doesn’t know how to address the situation, whether he should try to get close to Jinyoung or just wait for something cliché (them getting stuck in an elevator, him saving Jinyoung from a vehicular accident, 7 minutes in heaven, etc). He contemplates flipping a coin- heads and he’ll talk to him and tails and he’ll just die alone and heterosexual. He isn’t sure which side he’s hoping for.

 

His mind argues. _Flipping a coin isn’t fair because the odds aren’t exactly 50/50 but more of 49/51 plus it could also probably end up falling on it’s heavier side, which would be the head, right?_ His mind tells him to shut up.

 

-

 

In school, after three seconds of thought, trusting the cosmic knowledge of his coin that has a 51% chance of landing on heads, Jihoon decides to walk to Jinyoung’s class and ask about openings at the mart (just because), and maybe he could slip in a quick _I’m sorry my friends always trash the store and you’re cute_. It was a good plan only if one didn’t address the many holes it had. But all Jihoon only wanted was a chance at talking. He could have that.

 

The walk isn’t that difficult, just stairs and covered courts and a little more stairs (sometimes the difficulty of the journey is overshadowed by the beauty of the destination). It doesn’t take long for him to end up on Jinyoung’s floor, but shit, he doesn’t know his last name. Woo Jinyoung, Lee Jinyoung, Shin Jinyoung? What if his name wasn’t Jinyoung and Jihoon’s just misheard it the whole time (flashback to middle school: Ong Seongwoo ➜ Hong Seongwoo? ➜ _Gong Seongwoo??_ ).

 

Jihoon takes time stopping by every classroom, scanning the class list they had posted on every door. He’s rushed by three rooms until he finds what he’s been looking for, it’s a realization that crashes into him suddenly, in the form of _Bae_ Jinyoung (not Woo, not Lee, not Shin). And Jihoon doesn’t know if it’s the rush of human contact or his lack of sleep that pushes him to speaking recklessly, but the moment he sees Jinyoung he exclaims, “You! I’ve been looking at you for a long time!” _Oh my god._

 

_-_

 

Jihoon thinks his friends take shifts in tormenting him, because if yesterday the assigned devil was Samuel then today it was was Hyeongseop. Hyeongseop, little rabbit boy, angelically laughing like he had no air in his lungs. The laughter would be contagious if not for the fact that he was the butt of the joke, again.

 

“Hey you! I’m looking at- _pffft_.”

 

_Save him._

 

_-_

 

The exchange follows Jihoon all the way home, and sits on his stomach as he lies down on his bed. It’s suffocating, really.

 

Jihoon is thoroughly embarrassed. He thought he’d never beat the _OngHongGong_ incident but his life is a rollercoaster that only goes up (in terms of shame and homosexuality). He props himself up on his knees, looks out the window. The sun’s completely set, dark blue consuming the sky before him.

 

He could imagine himself walking with Jinyoung along the roads outside his house, looking up at the sky together. Jihoon’s thought about dating Jinyoung more than he likes to admit. The two of them. They’d hold hands from under the lunch table, glance at each other in the halls. Jihoon would visit the mart more often (with less of _Samuel_ and more of _him alone_ ) and make sure their hands would brush every time he’d hand over the money.

 

But gay dreams are crushed by heterosexual realities.

 

It’s nearing 1 am. He decides it’s best to go to the mart (he was never a smart guy and has no intentions of being smart tonight).

 

On the way, he doesn’t spare much attention to his surroundings. People have always told him to be more wary at night but he figured the only thing he had to worry about on the streets were moving vehicles (male privilege). He didn’t see many, so he focused on the coin in his hand, looking at the small grooves it had in it’s side from age. Heads and he’d confess, maybe. Tails and he’d die alone and in the closet.

 

He flips the coin but tucks it in his pocket before he gets the chance to see.

 

-

 

Entering the store, Jihoon feels his heart drop. He double checks his watch to make sure it’s really 1 am and not 5 pm because Jihoon’s sleuth skills failed to let him know that Jinyoung worked the night shift. _The same sleuth skills couldn’t even get him Jinyoung’s surname so where’s the surprise?_

 

Jinyoung looks tired, like he’s been fighting off sleep. And Jihoon refuses to believe that he works the night shift. He pictures it, a bored Jinyoung counting the tiles on the floor to pass time,  dozing off in class the next day because of it. He thinks it would be cute to see Jinyoung sleepy, groggy and incoherent, hiding behind his textbook so the teacher wouldn’t see. He’d squish him, boop his nose and ruffle his hair, intentionally pull his hood off to see him angry (angry cute).

 

Jinyoung looks at him, a little surprised, but cool looking still, “It’s really late, what are you doing out?”

 

“I’m just restless.” Jihoon peeps. “I thought noodles would help.”

 

“They usually do.” Jinyoung laughs, _cool._ “I don’t know if it’s the food or just the vibe of it all, but it does clear the mind.” That makes him laugh too.

 

“I didn’t know that food had vibes.” He questions for cheekiness’ sake.

 

“They really do!”

 

-

 

Talking becomes easier at midnight, Jihoon doesn’t know if it’s the loss of inhibition that usually comes with late night or the fact that they’ve got the store to themselves, but it makes him think that Jinyoung isn’t a person that he should be afraid of talking to. A part of him thinks it could be his astrally intelligent coin, he grips it in his pocket just in case it’s really lucky.

 

“I got this job,” Jinyoung holds back a laugh, “by lying about my age.”

 

He finds himself laughing as well, “Are you _kidding_? How do the owners not know yet?”

 

“They’re deadbeats, I never see them. I’m pretty sure they aren’t even in Korea. I’m sure they aren’t Korean.”

 

“What are their names?” Jihoon asks

 

“Mr. and Mrs. Ong”

 

 

“Ah shit I know an Ong!”

 

-

 

Somewhere along the line, Jinyoung ditches his seat from behind the counter to sit on the countertop itself, and tucked between his thighs was his own cup of noodles. Jihoon sees that Jinyoung doesn’t go for anything spicy, he thinks it’s cute.

 

“What was on your mind, anyway. Why’d you come?” Jinyoung pokes, how far does he want go? How far is he willing to go? Jihoon flips the coin in his mind, it lands on heads. He gambles.

 

“There’s someone I like.” He hears a gulp but he doesn’t know if it came from Jinyoung or himself. He tries to rack his brain for ways to reel the words back in, prevent a conversation that’s bound to happen in time. But Jinyoung looks all too eager to force every last secret out of him and if he’s being completely honest, he doesn’t mind. He keeps on going.

 

“I like them, but liking them is hard.”

 

“Is it now?” Jinyoung laughs. Both of their cups are empty now, makes Jihoon think about how long they’ve been talking.

 

“It is. I’m scared.”

 

“It’s scary.” It looks like a dream, being this close to Jinyoung, talking to him like they’re old friends. He looks good, head tipped up facing the light. He’s thinking of someone. Jihoon can see it in his eyes.

 

People look different when they have feelings for someone. Their eyes are always lingering, drifting towards something only they can see. It comes with a newfound eloquence that didn’t appear to be there before. And that’s how Jinyoung is speaking to him now. He feels a small sting in his chest knowing that Jinyoung has someone on his mind. He wonders who it could be, whether it was a girl or a boy, maybe it’s him.

 

“When it’s scary, you know it’s real.” Jinyoung says.

 

Jihoon is scared. He’s scared of the dark, and taking baths past midnight, and being rejected. He thinks that maybe Jinyoung has the same fears. Or maybe they’re fears Jinyoung could never imagine having. Jihoon wills his mind to stop. Jinyoung continues.

 

“People are gambles. It makes you realize how much they’re worth to you, how much you’d give up.”

 

How much was Jihoon willing to give up? How much did he have to lose in the first place? He wonders if anyone could ever be worth any risk to him. He feels like he’s acting too selfishly.

 

“Do you like someone, Jinyoung?” Jihoon needs to ask. His heart is beating like crazy and he feels like it would burst if they just went on like this.

 

“I do.” Jinyoung says, it’s a whisper, but it sounds steadfast. Jihoon wishes he were this sure of anything.

 

“Could you tell me who?”

 

“Not right now.”

 

There’s a softness in Jinyoung’s eyes, hopeful thinking. And Jihoon searches his face to see who he could possibly thinking about.

 

“Are you scared?” he asks.

 

“Not really.”

 

“Not really?”

 

“I don’t think so.”

 

Jihoon turns his back to the view behind him, looks at the exact line where the darkness transitions to light. It’s Jinyoung and Jihoon, two different people, different friend groups, one quiet, one rowdy, and this where they meet.

 

He looks at the store, the small display of chocolates stacked neatly in time for Valentine’s, the narrow aisles of chips and comfort foods. He looks at the lights above him, harsh white fluorescent, flickering only slightly because of age. He looks at the floor, counts the tiles just because, sees the grit in between them and then looks up..

 

He looks at Jinyoung, and a dizzying wave of affection washes over him, pupil-dilating, heart stopping affection. His insides feel light, like the feeling you get in your stomach when you’re on a rollercoaster. And he feels warm. And he’s never thought that people could have this type of affect on him, ever. Jinyoung’s there, just sitting on the counter, same as earlier, he’s wearing his work apron over his pajamas, and taps the heels of his loose laced running shoes on the side of the counter. Jihoon thinks it’s the best he’s seen and the best he’ll ever see. If he were judging art, at some edgy competition, then that single shot of Jinyoung would be enough for him to call the whole thing off. _This is it, everyone. There’s nothing better than this_.

 

He finds himself standing, counting his steps until he finds himself standing right in front of Jinyoung, in between his legs. Jinyoung’s still sitting on the counter, sights trained on Jihoon and he feels like he’s looking into a rabbit hole he was too willing to jump into. He moves closer, unknowingly, like he’s being pulled by whatever cosmic forces he thinks exist. It’s unexplainable, nothing’s coming to mind except Jinyoung and Jinyoung and Jinyoung (repeat until page is full).

 

Whatever space is left between them is full of silent tension. There’s no denying at this point that he has full fledged feelings for Jinyoung, and he thinks it’s safe to assume that Jinyoung isn’t straight.

 

The chimes ring and he’s dragged out of his trance. A burly man with a handsome 5 o’clock shadow enters the room. For a second, Jihoon thinks it’s some sort of bandit coming to raid the store with the two of them at gunpoint. But the guy walks in yawning and he’s still got his university ID badge on, so Jihoon thinks otherwise. Jinyoung’s acting immediately, shoving Jihoon away and hopping over the counter, sliding out of his apron and tossing it to the man.

 

“Thanks for covering.” the man smiles.

 

“It’s okay, Dongho, I don’t mind.” Jinyoung replies. The two of them speak like they’ve known each other for a long time.

 

The man smiles and he looks kinder that way, “Lucky for you, Jin, you have company. It’s good that your friend came down here with you.”

 

Jinyoung smiles a bit, hesitates only slightly, but softens, “Yeah, it’s good.”

 

**PART B**

 

Jinyoung is employed. He’s one of the five kids in his level to have part-time work, and that makes him feel like he’s slightly more accomplished than his classmates. But what he doesn’t like about working the counter at the mini mart though, is seeing Park Jihoon, in all his beauty and _probable heterosexuality_ , enter the store with all his friends to buy cola and chips after school. It was easier in the beginning; he had his more professional friend work with him and the company made him feel more at ease. But Kenta, like the hardworking man he is, ditched the mart life to get a full time job at a cafe and his replacement hasn’t come yet. He’s never felt more betrayed in his life.

He should quit and get a job somewhere else. Somewhere that doesn’t appeal to the youth. A place where he wouldn’t have to deal with all the rowdy middle schoolers wrecking the shelves, where he would never have to worry about Park Jihoon seeing him flustered at the counter.

The chimes on the door sound and he’s pulled from his thoughts. Jihoon and his friends flash him a small smile before raiding the shelves. He lets it slide because Jihoon’s cute.

 

It’s a perfect picture of youth, a big group of teenagers swiping chips off the shelves, ignoring the shopping baskets and carrying everything in their arms. Jihoon shuffles behind them silently, laughing and watching his friends carelessly move the items on the shelves. Jinyoung’s going to end up putting everything in its proper place. He isn’t sure if this is part-time work or child slavery (he remembers he lied about his age to get the job; he is grateful).

Jinyoung checks them out. _Not like that_. He takes the items piece by piece and scans them halfheartedly and bags them the same way. Barbeque, salt and vinegar, wasabi, plain salt, cheese, he wonders what flavor Jihoon picked for himself. It’s probably something cute and endearing like seaweed or something. It suits him. Or maybe it’s something as adolescent as cheese. That also suits him. Whatever Jihoon picks is cute.

“Thank you!” It’s a rushed message from Jihoon as his friends pull him out of the store faster than Jinyoung can blush.

He forces himself to not look outside the window. Knowing Jihoon’s friends, they’re well on their way. But it doesn’t stop him from imagining what it would look like. Jihoon lingering by the window, maybe he’d want to come back inside, ask Jinyoung about school. For a second, he thinks Jihoon’s going to come back through the doors? He doesn’t get his hopes up.

His shift ends in half an hour. He needs to clean quickly.

 

**-**

 

“Hey you! I’ve been looking at you!” Jihoon’s got a finger pointed at him, and he honestly looks a little crazy. The scene he’s made has started to garner attention, and his classmates are peeking their heads out of the doors to get a glimpse of him. (Jihoon would later be known by his class as _that guy who shouted at Jinyoung_. The cruel nickname would make it to graduation.)

 

Meanwhile, Jinyoung chokes on his own spit. He isn’t sure if he’s heard it correctly or if it was just his gay mind playing tricks on him again (flashback to freshman year: Yo man where’s your bathroom ➜ Yo man I’m _in love with you_ ; some memories that are made to be forgotten).

 

“Ah, I meant to say that,” he fumbles, “I meant to say that I was looking for you.. You!”

 

Jihoon gestures to someone way behind Jinyoung, and bolts away before he can say anything in response. _Ah, he wasn’t looking for me._

 

It’s the bathroom incident all over again, although he isn’t sure if it’s less or more embarrassing, he knows it’s definitely something. In the split second Jinyoung got his hopes up, he let himself get disappointed. He tries not to show it in his face, tries to make it look like he’s more confused and angry (his normal face).

 

Moments like this make him remember why he’d rather spend his free time organizing soda cans. Getting paid instead of getting indirectly rejected sounds really good, a lot better actually. Maybe he could save up his paychecks and move to somewhere gayer, like America. English is a good investment for gay runaways.

 

“What was that about?” Guanlin asks, “that senior was shouting at you.”

 

“I honestly don’t remember. He left so quickly.” Jinyoung tries to kill the conversation before it starts, but Guanlin’s a little hell worm so he knows that he won’t get things his way.

 

“Are you into him?” The question’s too direct to be considered polite, but somehow it’s all shit and rainbows when it comes from Guanlin’s mouth. Beauty is power.

 

“Why are you asking?” He still tries to force the topic to end, fakes ignorance to save his face.

 

Guanlin smiles in return but it still looks evil. “I’m just being a good friend, it’s my life mission.”

 

“You’re a good asshole, that’s what you are.” He mutters in reply.

 

“Mission accomplished.”

 

**-**

 

That night, he gets a call from his manager saying that Dongho was going to run a little late to his night shift because of school work and that he needed to cover for the guy. He gets the call at midnight and is sure that it wasn’t legal for someone of his age to work at these hours. But the store owners aren’t really Korean by blood nor citizenship and he’s grateful to have any type of employment (given he lied about his age to get the job).

 

He lacks sense and guilt. What he doesn’t lack is pocket money.

  

Night shifts aren’t as haunting as they’re said to be. Jinyoung’s survived a good hour and he hasn’t spotted any ghosts yet. He looks out the window, _yes,_ and there are no cult members or killer clowns surrounding the store either. Neither smog nor hash slinging slasher. But it’s very quiet. Quiet enough for him to hear the clicking sounds of the heater in the breakroom, and the faint buzz of the fluorescent lights. If no killer clowns show up, the boredom could kill him instead. A haunting might make his night.

 

The chimes ring. After listening to the sounds of _lightbulbs_ , normal sounds are weird. The boredom broke his ears, now he’ll only be able to listen to ASMR for the rest of his life.

 

Jinyoung decides to be a good guy and greet whoever decided to show up at half-past midnight, and his heart flutters when he sees that it’s Jihoon.

 

“Hello Jinyoung.” It’s curt, accompanied by a small smile. Jinyoung can feel his whole being stagger.

 

Looking at Jihoon was weird, because his stomach would flip and his heart would stop but it was good? He was practically chasing the feeling. He liked Jihoon, undoubtedly,  in a way that transcended friendly, and he wonders what sort of astral sign it was for him to see Jihoon at these hours. What would the universe do in this moment?

 

Every bit of boredom he had in his body had dissipated to giddy affection, and he finds himself asking, “What are you doing out so late?”

 

-

 

“Do you like someone?” Jihoon asks him. He notices how Jihoon’s actions become smaller, shyer. He finds it cute that someone as friendly as him could turn so shy.

 

Jinyoung wants to know where this goes, “Yeah, there is someone I like.”

 

“Can you tell me?”

 

_It’s you. It’s really you. I like you. I like you a lot._

 

“Not right now.” _maybe another time._

 

“Are you scared?”

 

“Not really.” _What do I have to fear?_

 

“Not really?” _Not at all._

 

Jihoon comes closer, his movements are slow, cautious, but still steadfast. Jinyoung wonders if he’s ever had the same confidence to do what Jihoon was doing. He’s too close now, Jinyoung feels the sirens go off in his head. He’s really going crazy now; his thoughts are racing but none of them are coherent, and the only things he can really comprehend in his head is that Jihoon’s lips are really chapped and that he wants him to come closer.

 

And so he does, tilts his head forward a little bit until he can feel breath on his lips and he’s sure, he’s sure that he could really die in this moment.

 

The chimes ring and he back, shoves Jihoon impulsively and jumps off the counter. He can’t seem to make his heart calm down, but he knows there’s nothing he could do. Dongho’s fully aware of the situation, smiles a little bit a Jinyoung. It’s that victorious smile, reeks of bragging and _I knew you were gay_. The furthest he’s gotten with anyone (being gay and all), and he’s interrupted by Dongho (whose specialty is interrupting). He tosses his apron at Dongho a little rougher than he should, not like he should feel bad (not like Dongho felt it).

 

His eyes fall on Jihoon’s again, he’s looking down, fingers slightly grazing the skin of his lip. There’s a mad blush on his face and Jinyoung wonders if he looks the same.

 

Whatever hours he was working at the mart are over, and he and Jihoon stand silently outside the mart (Dongho watching from inside, young love is beautiful). The air is chilling, and neither of them are dressed for it. Jinyoung thinks about moving closer, for warmth probably. The words that roll between them are smaller, shyer, but not as formal as they were hours ago. _What way are you walking? I hope I see you around in school. Tonight was fun._

 

Jihoon offers a handshake, Jinyoung takes it without hesitation.

 

“I’ll see you around.”

 

They go in opposite directions, light and dark indeed.

 

**PART C**

 

Walking home, Jihoon is sure he’s super into Jinyoung, not like he wasn’t before. But whatever doubts he’s had about anything dissipated into a steadfast pride flag waving around in his heart. He isn’t sure he remembers what happened at the mart, the how’s and the why’s of the situation, but he’s sure he almost kissed Jinyoung, and he’s sure that it would’ve have happened if not for someone walking in. He shouldn’t have been so slow.

 

He gets home and even then, Jihoon swears he can feel Jinyoung’s lips hovering over his own. Getting into bed, he wills his mind to rest.

 

**PART D**

 

Jinyoung’s room is dark, he’s always been the type to keep his curtains closed, but that night he rolled them open. There wasn’t much of a difference, it was still as dark as it was when the blinds were down. But it was enough for Jinyoung to feel like he was closer to the world. He looked outside his window, navy enveloping the sky and there, the moon.

 

The moon was something that stayed in Jinyoung’s heart; he loved it. There was a simple beauty in admiring things from afar. There was a confidence in it, knowing that the distance between didn’t matter, that he didn’t need to get any closer to know it was the most beautiful thing out there.

 

But Jinyoung’s gotten closer.

 

**PART E**

 

Jihoon stays behind after school, makes his friends wait a little longer. He sees a stray pad of post-its on the window ledge, a screaming neon green, and he takes the time to bring his pen out and write Jinyoung a note.

 

_It’s Jihoon. Please meet me on the roof of the Senior Building Complex, during the free period._

 

_It’s Jihoon. Can you meet me on the roof of the Senior Building Complex, during the free period?_

 

_Senior Building Compex, free period, meet me. -Jihoon_

 

He writes it over and over, ripping each attempt and shoving it in his pocket. He writes one more, in the neatest handwriting he can pull off, _Please meet me on Senior Building Complex roof tomorrow during free period. I need to tell you something. -Jihoon_

 

-

 

In the morning, Jinyoung walks to his locker, and sees a neon green note folded and stuffed into the side of his locker. He can already imagine what it says.

 

**FIN: I’M LOOKING AT YOU**

 

He’s waiting on the roof, counting minutes in his mind. He’s as hopeful as he is nervous, and when he hears the door open, his heart settles. It’s a soft, joking voice, “You know, in the movies, rooftops are reserved for confessions and kiss scenes.”

 

There’s the scene. Jihoon and Jinyoung standing across each other on the roof of the Senior’s building. Both know what’s happening, what’s going to happen, neither speak on it. Jihoon loses all his words the moment he hears the door open.

 

It’s a soft laugh, _You know, in the movies, rooftops are reserved for confessions and kiss scenes_.

 

“That sounds about right.”

 

It’s happening again, the tension between them made it feel like they were at the mart again. And the setting changes in their minds. The sun isn’t out, they aren’t on the roof, they’re not in their uniforms. They’re at the mart, in their pajamas, and the air is full of boyish wonder, frivolous affection. Jihoon doesn’t think any girl can make him feel this. Jinyoung feels the same.

 

The words swim in his head, _That sounds about right_. Jinyoung sees Jihoon, sights trained on him, and his feet feel like their moving on their own.

 

“I like you.” The coin in his mind lands on heads, and Jihoon feels as though if he holds the words in any longer he would just explode. So he says them, with clenched fists and a racing heart. His thoughts are too quick, flying in and out of his mind before he has the chance to process anything but Jinyoung. This is it.

 

Jinyoung’s moving closer, his body wills him to, and he finds himself face to face with Jihoon again, the space between them getting smaller and smaller. He visualizes the moon, it’s beauty in the distance, but he’s found himself something that’s just as beautiful up close as it is from afar. _I like you, I like you, I like you._ The words bounce in his mind, all for him to say, “I like you. I like you a lot.” Jinyoung says them in a breath, and he’s close enough for Jihoon to feel the words hit his lips.

 

He pulls Jihoon by the coat until there’s no space between them, and Jinyoung feels the entire world crumble around them. Nothing will ever top this.

**Author's Note:**

> Tag yourself:  
>  **Parkji** : hot mess, calls everyone by the wrong name, will walk 500 miles to see a cute person for 5 minutes  
>  **Baejin** : (outside) hello, (inside) asjfkdjlk  
>  **Laiguan** : beauty makes people forget his plans of world domination, talks shit in chinese so no one understands  
>  **Joohak** : ^.^  
>  **Leedae** : people forget he's there, lives a secret double life  
>  **Ahnhyeong** : kind to everyone but his friends, will laugh at you when you fall  
>  **Kangdong** : the only reasonable one, everyone knows him but also no one knows him, the will smith meme where he's in a sunflower suit surrounded by children


End file.
